Electric valve converting apparatus



Get. 10, 1933. c w|LL|$ 1,929,722

ELECTRIC VALVE CONVERTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 1, 1931 Inventor: ClodiuS H. Willis, 8 His Attorneg;

Patented Oct; .1 0,' l 9331 APPARATUS a i ,Gneral Electri l 'N ew York v v I mm (Cl. 115 -3 3 1 My invention relates to electric valve convert- 3 ing apparatus and more particularly to such aprect'and alternating current circuits; Heretofore there have been devised numerous electric valve converting apparatus: for I transparatus adapted to transmit energy'between :di

. mitting energy between direct and alternating current circuits. When operating such {apparatus as a rectifier transmitting.aenergy from an al possible to operate such a controlled irectifier' at leading" power tactors, since this type of operation involves thetransier of the loadicurrent from one valve to the next'succeeding valve in opposition to the electromotive, -forceof the inductive windinginterconnecting the valves. rOn.

the other hand; when operating such apparatus as an invertentransmitting energy from a direct current circuit to" an alternating'current,

circuit, it has not been round possible ordinarily to supply lagging loadsonthe alternating current circuit 'iwithoutethe provision" of; an inor dinate amount of commutatingr capacitance.

Thisis due #toth'e fact that a lagging" power factor on the alternating current circuit corresponds to a transfer of the I load current between -the several electric valves- -at points 'inthe cycle of alternating potential whenthe counter-electromotive force of K inductive, windings" connected "140 between the valves opposessuch commutation. Inimy copending applications "SerialNo. 566L372,

' and Serial No;.566;37,3, and inthe appending ap plication-of .C. ArjcSabbah, Serial No. 566,377;

filed October 1; 1931; allotwhich are assigned to the same assignee ;as the present :application, there aredisclosed .and; claimed certain electric valve converting "apparatus for, transmitting energy; between direct and alternating current circuits under nonunity nowernfactor conditions on the alternating currenticircuit. 1? Myinvention ments of thegarrangements v'descrihed'in "the above mentioned copendingapplications.

' --It is an objectgof my invention to provide an improved electric valve converting apparatus for conditions on: the alternating. current circuit.

I Referring now to the-d comprises certain modifications and .improvetransmitting: energy between .direct eandx: alternating current circuits under any desired power factor :conditions' "of. the alternating "current circuit; A q i i- 'i" It is-another object of my invention-to provide an improved electric valveuconverting: apparatus for transmittingenergyqirom a direct current supply circuit to an alternating current-load circuit and which -will""supply lagging loads; on the.alternating.current' circuit: i

It is another object .of, my inventionto-provi'de an improved electric valveconverting-apparatus whichflwill transmit energy from an alternating current supply circuit: to a direct current load,

circuit, andqwhich -will draw leading. scurrent m from the alternatingmuflent circuit 11 p In accordancewith my-invention,',,an electric valve converting apparatus including aniinducf- 7 time winding and a plurality civaelectric valves interconnecting direct and alternating iacurrent circuits, is provided "with an; impedance means, such a capacitor, connected .inseries circuit relationship withthe load current of theapparai tus, -and-the impedance is so, included in the apparatus that the potentialdrop across it; available ,fonopposing :the electromotive force of the inductive winding, interconnecting the circuit's for ,commutating' the current between the electric valves underrlany desired powerfactor With such anarrangement, the potential across the I impedance means available for I commuta? tion being dependent upon thevload current, is in. phase 'with it so that the maximum potential drop 'of the impeda'nceis available 'at' the de siredyinstants of commutation. I

a bettercunderstanding rof my jinv'ention 0 together with other and further objects, there of, reference "is had to the following a dam tion taken in connection withthe accompanyingdrawing and its scope will'be v.po'intedt'out I in the, appended claims. Referring now to; the single figure of the-accompanying drawing, there is illustrated an arrangement embodying my in v vention for transmitting energy betweenv a": di- .100 rect current circuit and a single phase alternating current circuit or the type known ing the art as a'-:.biphase hall?v wave electric"valv vetting apparatus; '3

wing 'I have illus trated an arrangement for transmitting energy between a direct current circuit 10 and an alternatinggcurrentcircuit 11; a This apparatus' com prises a transformer 12 having aW-incling 13 connected Ito the alternating current Icirbuiti- 11 and a winding 14 provided with an electrical midpoint connected to one side of the direct current circuit 10 and a pair of end terminals connected to the other side of the direct current circuit through electric valves 15 and 16. Electric valves 15 and L6. are each provided with an anode. a cathodeand a control grid and may be of any of the several types well known in the art, although I prefer to use valves of the vapor electric discharge type; A smoothing reactor 17 is preferably connected in the to be used to transmit energy from the direct current circuit to the alternating current circuit, and in case the alternating circuit is not connected to an independent source of electromotive force, a commutating capacitor 18 maybe connected between the anodes oi' the valves 15 c and 16 in parallel to the winding 14.. y In orderto produce a component of commutating potential variable inaceordance with the phase and magnitude of the load current, there is interposed in the connections betweenelectric valves 15 and 16 and the direct current circuit 10a reactor or autotransfonner- 19 provided with an electrical midpoint connected to thedirect current circuit and with end terminals connected to the valves 15 and '16, while a commutating capacitor 20 is connectedacrossthe winding 19. The grids of electriczvalves 15' and 16 are adapted" to be energized from independent secondary windings of a grid transformer 21 through current limiting resistors 22, while the primary winding of the grid transformer 21 may be energized from anysuitable source of alternating controlpotential variable in phase in order to vary thefpower factor conditions on the alternating current circuit 11. ,By way of example I haveillustrated a rotary phase shifting transformer 23 energized from a three-phase alternatingcurrerrtcircuit 24, although if the altempting current circuit 11 is connected to an independent source of electromotive force; the rotary phase shifting transformer 22' may be energized therefrom through any suitable phase shifting arrangement as will be well understood by those skilled'in the art.

Neglecting the 'commutating winding 19 and capacitor 20, and assuming that the lower dimt current terminal is connected directly to the cathodes of the valves 15 and 16, neglecting the commutating capacitor 18, and assuming that the apparatus is operating as a rectifier, it. is seen that the above described apparatus comprises simply a bi-phase half wave rectifier. Under these conditions, the average voltage of the direct current circuit 10 may be controlled byretarding the phase of the grid potentials cl electric valves 15 and 16 with respect to theirianode potentials by means of the rotary phase: shifting transformer 22. With this'type oil voltage control: the rectifying apparatus is the equivalent of a lagging loadon the alterhating cm'rent circuit 11,- while it is preferable to draw a leading: current from the. circuit 11 in order taimprove. the power factor of the Considering now the action of thecommutating winding 19 and capacitor ZOand: neglecting tin magnetizing admittance of the winding 19, it will be seen that the load. current flowing in one'haii of the winding 19 must be balanced an: equal and opposite. current flowing through. the other half of the winding, while the only path in which this: balancing. current can flow is the commutating capacitor 20. That .is, the capacitor 20 is effectively in series with For example, assuming that the left hand terminal of the winding l4,is positive so that ourrent flows through electric valve 15, the left V s .handportion of the winding 19 and the direct direct current circuit. In case the-apparatus iscurrent circuit-it will be seen that the load current flows also through the capacitor 20, charging the right hand terminal of this capacito a negative potentialp If now electric valve 16 berendered conducting while the left hand terminal of the winding 14 is still positive with respect to the right hand terminal, the capacitor 20 will 'none the less interrupt the current in the valve 15 and initiate the current in the valve'lfi, provided only that the potential across capacitor 20 is slightly greater than that of thewinding l4 opposing commutation. At the same. instant electric valve 15 may be'rendcred nonconducting and the reactor 17 will forcethe current through the valve 16 against theelectromotive force of the winding 1'4. In brief, the current may be commutated between the valves 15 and 16 before the electromotive force of the winding 14 reverses polarity, which corresponds to leading power factor conditions on the alternating current circuit 11.

Similarly, when operating the apparatus as an'inverter, transmitting energy from the directcurrent circuit 10 to the alternating current circuit 11, it is normallypossible to transfer current from the valve 15-to thevalve 16 only when the counter-electromotive force of the right hand portion of the winding 14 is less than that of the left hand portion; that is, when the counter-electromotive force of the winding 14 is in such a direction as to effect commutation. This condition exists only before the electromotive force of the winding 14 reverses polarity, that is; under leading power factor conditions of the alternating current circuit ll. However, as inthe case of a rectifier, the series capacitor 20 becomes chargedto such a potential that the current may be transferred between thevalves 15 and'ltl at a point in the cycle when the electromotive force of the winding 14 opposes commutation. Thus, by the proper selection of the capacitor 20, and the control of the rotary phase shifting transformer 23, current may be transmitted between the direct current circuit 10 and'the alternating current circuit 11 at any desired power factor on the alternating current circuit 11 from zero to substantially 90 degrees leading or lagging. The addition of the parallel connected capacitor 18 aids" in commutating the current between the valves under light load conditions when the commutating potential of the capacitor 20 is small, but in some cases it may be omitted.

. WhileI have illustrated my invention as applied to a half wave valve convertingapparatus, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is equally applicable to a full wave converting apparatus, in which case the upper direct current terminal 10 is connectedto the outer terminals of the winding 14 through an additional pair of electric valves and commutating winding and capacitor in a manner similar to the connections of the lower direct current terminal.

, While Ihave described what'I at present consider the preferred embodiment of my invention.

tion, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and-modifications may be made without departing from my invention alternating current circuit, and apparatusfor transmitting energy therebetween under any desired power factor conditionson said alternating current circuit comprising an inductive winding in energy transmitting relation with respect to a group of similarly disposed electric valves interconnecting said winding with .one side, of said direct current circuit, and a connection from the other side of said direct current circuit to said winding, means for controlling the conductivity of said valves, and means for, introducing into said apparatus a periodic potential the magnitude of which varies with the load transmitted by the apparatus for commutating the load current between said valves. i

2. In combination, a direct current circuit, an alternating current circuit, and apparatus for transmitting energy therebetween under any desired power factor conditions .on said alternating current circuit comprising an inductive winding in energy transmitting relation with re-* spect to said alternating current circuit, means including a group of similarly disposed electric valve's'interconnecting said winding with one side,

of said direct currentcircuit, and a connection from the other side or said'direct current circuit to said winding', means ior controlling the. conductivity of said valves, impedance means in.

series relationship with the load current of'said "apparatus, and means for'utilizing the potential drop of said impedancemeans forcommutating the current between said valves.

3; In combination, a direct curr'entcircuit, an.

1 alternating current circuit, and apparatus for transmitting energy therebetween under any desired power factor conditions on said alternating current circuit comprising an inductive winding 1 commutating capacitor in series relationship mutually coupled inductive windings interposed direct current circuit, and a connection from the other side of said direct current circuit to said winding. means for controlling the conductivity. c: said valves, and means including a withthe load current of the apparatus and concurrent between them. 7

';a"group' of similarly 'disp osed electric valves-interconnecting said winding with one side of said a nected between said valves for commutating the 4. In combination, a direct current circuit, an alternating current circuit, and apparatus ior, transmitting energy therebetween comprising an inductive winding in energy transmitting re- 'lation with respect to said alternating current said-alternating current circuit, means including circuit, means including a group of similarly said direct current circuitto said winding, means for controlling the conductivity of c said valves,

in the connections'between said valves and said direct current'circuit and a,capacitor iii-series relationship with said inductive windings for commutating the load current between said valves under any desired power factor conditions on said alternating current circuit.

5. In combination, a direct current circuit, an alternating current circuit, and apparatus for transmitting energytherebetween comprising an inductive windingin energy transmitting relationwith respect to said alternating current cir-' cuitp'means including a group of similarly disposed electric valves interconnecting said windinglwith one side of said'direct current circuit,

and a connection Iromithe other side of said direct currentcircuit to said winding, means for controlling the conductivity of said valves, a

second inductive winding provided with an elec- ,trical midpoint connected to one side of said direct current circuit and with end terminals connected to said electric valves, and a capacitor connected between said end terminals for commutating the load current between said valvesunder any desired power factor conditions on said alternatingcurrent circuit. 1 I v I CDODIUS H. WILLIS disposed electric valves interconnecting said winding with one side of said direct current circuit, and a connection from the other side of 

